A Delhi court has acquitted the former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, in a long-running sexual harassment case brought against him by six female wrestlers, drawing a close to one of the most contentious legal sagas in modern Indian sport.
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These accusations, which Singh denied on all occasions, came to light for the first time in January 2023 and led to months of protests by the athletes. Some of Indiaโs top Olympians, such as Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, went on an indefinite sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi demanding the arrest and ouster of Singh. These protests received world-wide media attention especially after some athletes were arrested by police while marching towards the newly constructed Parliament building in May 2023.
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After complaints had been filed with the police in April 2023, followed by the intervention of the Supreme Court, two First Information Reports were filed against Singh. While one was for the sexual harassment, stalking, and outraging the modesty charges filed by the six grown-up wrestlers, the other FIR was filed on the basis of the POCSO Act because of the case of a minor wrestler. However, the case filed by the minor wrestler was withdrawn once the closure report was filed by the police and approved by the court in May 2025.
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The criminal trial for the charges against Singh and the former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar was initiated once the court framed the charges related to six adult complainants in May 2024. The prosecutors produced 32 witnesses and completed their case in May 2026, and ended the argument on July 2.
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Reacting to his acquittal on Monday, the former Bharatiya Janata Party MP reiterated that he had maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal, describing the verdict as a huge relief for himself and his supporters.
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The decision comes after months of renewed tension within the sport. Earlier this year, Phogat publicly revealed that she was one of the six complainants, having previously kept her identity confidential in line with Supreme Court guidelines protecting survivors of sexual harassment. She had expressed ongoing concerns regarding Singhโs continued influence within the wrestling body, arguing that hosting selection tournaments at facilities linked to him threatened fair competition ahead of upcoming international fixtures. Monday’s ruling effectively concludes the criminal proceedings that have dominated Indian wrestling for over three years.
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